


A Lesson in Royalty

by PrincessofPunk8



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/F, Orphanage matron Becky, Princess Charlotte - Freeform, Ric Flair is a creep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-08-03
Packaged: 2018-07-29 02:39:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7667083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessofPunk8/pseuds/PrincessofPunk8
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Princess Charlotte is your classic sheltered princess, only touted out for political events - until she makes a decision to get to know more about her kingdom, and it changes her life in more ways than one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Lesson in Royalty

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SamoanSexGodReigns](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamoanSexGodReigns/gifts).



> For the amazing SamoanSexGodReigns. Without her, this fic would have never been finished, and my writing slump never would have been ended.

Charlotte propped her chin on her hand, sloping forward as she gave into the feeling of soft hands running through her hair.

“Don’t go to sleep on me Your Majesty,” Nattie chided, tugging on the blonde locks in her hand to make Charlotte sit up straight again. Charlotte sighed and regained her posture, sitting tall and allowing Nattie to keep styling her hair for the day. So far there were already dozens of small braids adorning her head, and they would eventually be twisted into a complicated looking bun on top of her head.

“What is the point of today Nattie,” Charlotte sighed, keeping her head still even as her shoulders slumped. “It’s just going to be another kingdom my father wants to do business with, and another princess for me to make nice with, and another princess that will either think I’m a horrible person or who will fall into the same social group and expect me to be a horrible person.”

“If this act you put on bothers you, then don’t do it,” Nattie said, ever pragmatic. “As I have told you numerous times, there is no point making yourself miserable just to please a social group that won’t even be around by the time you make Queen.” Charlotte smiled wryly, and straightened her shoulders again.

“Dana certainly is thrilled about becoming engaged already,” she commented, hands smoothing down the front of her dress.

“To make a match is a coup for many princesses,” Nattie agreed. “Especially to a prominent King of a prosperous land such as King Seth. Others however, desire to be a strong ruler in their own right, and there is nothing wrong with that.” Her fingers began the process of twisting the braids up into the complex pattern of the bun. Charlotte fell silent, caught in thought.

“Do you ever miss it?” she blurted out suddenly, needing to get the question that had plagued her out. Nattie fell silent herself, the soft humming that had accompanied her work stopping even as she pressed the hairpins to contain the braids in.

“Do I miss what?” she asked carefully. Charlotte lifted her head a little and met Nattie’s eyes in the mirror hanging on the wall opposite them.

“Everything,” Charlotte said, the emotion clear in her voice. “You gave up so much when your country was invaded, there has to be something you regret, something you miss about being the Queen.”

“There’s not much I miss. The only thing I really miss, well, that’s my people,” Nattie told her, choosing every word carefully and slowly. “I miss being able to walk around among my people, and see how they really felt about me. When my uncle reigned, he rarely left the castle. He started off his reign beloved by the people, and by the time he handed the throne to me, they hated him. They lived in poverty, in conditions no human being should have to live in.” Nattie paused, and Charlotte stayed quiet, waiting for the story to continue, yet hearing the emotion in Nattie’s throat as she spoke of her homeland.

“When I took over,” Nattie continued, her voice soft. “I had a chance to change all of that. So I made sure to connect with my people, to walk with them, to talk with them. If it wasn’t for that relationship with them, I probably never would have made it out of my Kingdom alive, and I certainly wouldn’t have made it here for your father to be able to give me sanctuary. That’s what I miss, not the politics or the power. But the feeling that I was able to make a difference to people, to their lives.” By this point Nattie had finished her hair, so Charlotte was able to let her head drop. Nattie rested her hands on Charlotte’s shoulders, and squeezed gently.

“It’s not too late to change your attitude,” Nattie told her gently. “You just have to want to change your relationship with the people.” She smoothed the final few hairs back into place on Charlotte’s head, before taking her leave with a small curtsey. Charlotte sat for only a moment more before she got to her feet, shook out the skirt of the sky blue day dress she wore, and followed Nattie out the door to greet yet another Kingdoms favourite child.

* * *

 “So nice to see you Charlotte,” Dana exclaimed, taking her hands and kissing her on the cheek. Charlotte smiled back at her and welcomed her to the kingdom, the giant diamond on her finger not escaping her notice. She did the same with the other two Princesses, one known to her and one not.

“Princess Sasha your highness,” the unknown princess said, her tone already showing arrogance. Charlotte held back the sigh, and instead forced her publicity smile to be the only emotion shown on her face.

“Sasha here is the second heir to the throne in Bankton,” Maddison informed her. “And you know as Bankton borders Rayneville, my father has been suggesting that the Kingdom of Flair does business with them for many months now. Their lands have become very prosperous in the last harvests.” Charlotte nodded and smiled, allowing Dana to link arms with her and begin leading the group out to the gardens.

“Did you hear the news of Alexa?” Dana asked.

“No, the Kingdom of Bliss have been strangely absent on trading matters lately,” Charlotte said. “What happened to Alexa?”

“Not what happened to Alexa, but what did Alexa do,” Maddison laughed, Charlotte resisting the urge to cringe at the nasty tone in the sound. “She fell in love with that hulking woman that came with her last time, and ran off to get married!” Charlotte gasped, genuinely surprised at the news.

“Nia?” she asked, shocked that Alexa would just give up her throne. “Bliss’s Pixie Princess ran away with Nia?”

“The one and the same!” Dana said. Charlotte shook her head.

“I thought Alexa said that Nia was connected to King Roman, that she had royal blood?” Charlotte suggested, raising an eyebrow at Dana.

“She does,” Dana agreed. “But…”

“Not enough for her parents. Apparently they’re merely cousins, and since Nia is extremely unlikely to ever take the throne, Alexa’s parents wouldn’t allow the relationship,” Maddison interrupted. “The story goes that Alexa told her parents that they wanted to get married, and her parents refused, forbade them from seeing each other and sent Nia back to her cousin’s kingdom.”

“So less than a week later, Alexa ran away from the castle and they both fled the kingdom,” Dana continued. “Rumour has it that her parents claimed that Alexa was kidnapped,  and wanted her returned to the castle and Nia executed, but by that time Alexa had already reached Reigns Empire, and Roman wouldn’t hear of any of it. So they had to give up and just disown Alexa.”

“They’re no longer her parents concern or problem, why are we still gossiping about a fallen princess?” Sasha asked, rolling her eyes.

“Oh yes, Sasha is no stranger to the whiles of commoners, are you Sasha,” Maddison crowed, causing Sasha to flick her pink hair over her shoulder and whirl on Maddison, glaring at her as harshly as she could.

“It was one time Maddison,” she hissed. “One time and then it was over with.” She spun back on her heel and stormed off through the garden.

“You really ought to know better than to provoke the new princesses,” Charlotte sighed, slipping her arm out of Dana’s and following after Sasha. She heard Maddison and Dana laughing behind her and instead chose to keep walking.

“She was out of line,” she said quietly as she came upon Sasha, her arm bent and pressed to a tree and her head resting upon her arm. “She shouldn’t have said that to you.”

“It’s the truth,” Sasha snapped, turning around. “I slept with one of the maids, my parents found out, and I was given the choice. Give her up and she wouldn’t be fired. She never forgave me for choosing to end it with her, but I couldn’t be the reason she was let go from the castle. She had little enough as it was, and if she had been let go right when the scandal of the Princess sleeping with the maid had come out, her reputation would have been ruined and she wouldn’t have found work anywhere but on her knees. It didn’t matter anyway, she ended up leaving the kingdom a few weeks later.” Her shoulders slumped, the fight going out of her all at once, although the tension remained.

“Just run back and tell your friends the whole story,” she sighed. “Go make fun of me along with them.” Charlotte hesitated, but ended up stepping forward and hugging Sasha instead. She stiffened in her grip, but it only took a few moments for Sasha to relax and hug her back.

“Doesn’t Maddison already know the story?” Charlotte asked, her voice gentle. Sasha stepped back and shook her head, her fists clenching in the skirt of her yellow dress.

“She knows what became public, that I was caught with a maid,” she said. “Nothing else.” Charlotte stepped forward and linked arms with Sasha and began leading the two of them back to the other Princesses, meandering as slow as she could possibly make them walk.

“I won’t tell her anything else,” Charlotte promised, resting her free hand on Sasha’s forearm and squeezing gently.

“Thank you,” Sasha breathed, finally seeming to lose the last bit of tenseness in her shoulders. They walked in silence before they could see Dana and Maddison in the distance.

“What was her name?” Charlotte asked suddenly, glancing at Sasha. Sasha smiled, although there was sadness in her eyes.

“Bayley,” she replied. “Her name was Bayley.” Charlotte squeezed Sasha’s arm again before striding forward and brushing off the other Princesses complaints, pointing out that Sasha’s father was here for the first trade meeting between their kingdoms and that her own father would be upset if he thought that she wasn’t being a hospitable host to their guests.

* * *

 Two weeks after her conversations with Nattie and Sasha found Charlotte donning her oldest dress, and a plain brown hooded cloak, and slipping out of the castle without a word to anyone except for the guard on duty at the gate. AJ was loyal to her, not her father, and he wouldn’t tell a soul where she was going, yet would reassure anyone who needed to know that she was safe. She didn’t really know where she was going, only that she needed to go into the town and see what Nattie was talking about, not visible to everyone as Princess Charlotte, but looking and acting like one of the regular ladies in the town centre. The castle wasn’t too far from the town, so she didn’t have to walk too far, and as soon as she entered she was enveloped by the crowds of people. She had thought she would need to keep her head down, but as she looked around the streets and no one recognised her, she quickly realised that no one really knew what she looked like anyway. Charlotte looked around in amazement, the sights and sounds overwhelming her quickly. Children ran past her playing, their clothes carefully mended by an experienced hand. Men and women bustled past her, arms loaded with baskets of clothes and boxes full of food from the harvest. She followed the paths of the town for what felt like hours, and couldn’t help but notice that even though the houses were worn, and the peoples clothes were old and patched until they just couldn’t be mended anymore, that her people were smiling and happy. It wasn’t until a little girl tugged gently at the hem of her cloak that she realised anything else was going on. Charlotte knelt down next to her in order to hear her better.

“Excuse me miss, do you have any spare change?” the little brunette asked. Charlotte smiled at her and pulled a silver coin out of the inner pocket of her cloak, handing it to the child and receiving a toothy grin in return.

“Mickie!” Charlottes head jerked up at the sharp cry, only to see a redheaded woman rushing towards them, racing the guards that were following her down the road. She automatically stepped back, and when the redhead reached them first she enveloped the brunette in her cloak and clasped her shoulders tightly.

“You’re not taking her!” she yelled at the approaching guards, angling her body away from them in order to protect the small girl. The brunette trembled, and clasped her arms around the legs of the redhead, crying out in fear.

“You know the law!” the guards shouted at her. “Beggars are taken away. Hand over the girl.”

“She’s 5 years old!” the woman shouted back. “I know the law, but she doesn’t see anything wrong with asking politely for a spare coin!”

“And you are in charge of her,” the guards demanded. “Give her to us, or we’ll take you instead!” After a moment, Charlotte was too stunned to say a word, as the guards grabbed the woman’s arm and began to drag her down the road. The little brunette started crying, and when the second guard prised her off of the redhead’s legs, she attached herself to Charlotte instead. All around them people averted their eyes, and went about their business, and Charlotte was left to comfort the crying child while the woman was dragged away, cursing the guards with words that no lady should ever know. Charlotte awkwardly wrapped her arms around the girl’s shoulders, and hushed her gently.

“Is she your mother?” she asked hesitantly. The child – Mickie the woman had called her Charlotte reminded herself – shook her head.

“My momma is dead,” she said, still sniffling. “That’s Miss Becky, she runs the orphanage. That’s where I live.” Charlotte was shocked that the guards would drag away a young woman who had taken on children that weren’t her own, and for no reward, and all because one of her charges had asked for a spare coin. Charlotte held her hand out to Mickie, and smiled at her when she took it.

“Why don’t you show me the way to the orphanage?” she suggested. Mickie nodded and swiped her free arm over her eyes, the dirty sleeve of her dress doing little but smearing dirt all over her cheeks. Charlotte held back a wince, and Mickie began to pull her towards a small overgrown path nearby. Charlotte pulled her cloak around her tightly, there being just enough room on the path for the two of them to walk side-by-side comfortably, but anything more and her clothes would get caught. Mickie led the way, occasionally speaking up to warn her about an approaching bend, or a root that was growing out of the ground. Eventually they came to a clearing that contained nothing but a small cottage with several add-ons. It was easy to see where the original cottage ended, and the new parts of the building began, the original cottage being painted in a soft cream colour, except where the weather had caused the paintwork to peel, and the bricks underneath to peek through. The windows were large and deep, wide enough for a small child to sit comfortably on inside the house. The parts of the building that had been added on however, were made of brick and hadn’t been painted at all. There were no visible windows, yet even from her position far from the house Charlotte could easily see the gaps between the bricks and larger gaps around the eaves near the roof.

Mickie broke her grip on Charlotte’s hand as soon as she saw the house, and raced towards the building, a blonde woman coming out to meet her. Charlotte couldn’t see her face but as the blonde bent to pick the small babbling child up, her rough bun fell loose and Charlotte could see the red tips at the bottom of the blonde locks, with a flash of sapphire blue shining through the gaps in the red. She brought her cloak around her, and pulled her hood low. The only person who dared colour her hair like that was the former Princess Alexa of the Kingdom of Bliss. Charlotte didn’t know how she had found her way to the orphanage, but she knew that if Alexa was around then Nia wouldn’t be too far behind her. She turned and began hurrying down the path, only to hear sure footsteps following behind her. She started to run, but hadn’t managed to go far before she tripped over a root lying across the path and fell flat on her face. She could hear the footsteps get closer and closer until they stopped right beside her. Charlotte glanced up, only to see a hand being held down to her.

Nia helped her up and waited patiently while Charlotte dusted off her cloak and skirt, not saying a word but merely falling into step with Charlotte as she headed back towards the castle.

“Don’t you want to know what happened?” Charlotte finally burst out, becoming tired of the silence. Nia shrugged one shoulder, the motion elegant before she finally spoke.

“You’re here, Becky isn’t,” she replied simply. “My guess is that Mickie asked for money, and the guards arrested Becky instead of the child.” Charlotte’s jaw dropped as she took in the words that Nia spoke.

“You sound like you’re used to this,” she commented, causing Nia to smile, although it was obviously grim.

“It was only a matter of time,” she explained. “We knew this, we made plans for it.” A shadow fell over her expression before she continued. “Becky…she would do anything for these kids. She took them all in, they call it the orphanage but the truth is that it was never supposed to be an orphanage. It was just Becky taking kids in as she found them on the streets.”

“Until you came along?” Charlotte asked, now curious. Nia laughed.

“We’ve only been here a few months,” she admitted. “We found sanctuary in Reigns, but Alexa wasn’t happy. So we travelled until we came here. We were travelling through, and went through the same thing that you did, only it was one of the teenagers that Becky keeps. Alexa claimed ignorance, and told them that we were travellers passing through town and they must not have recognised us because they let us go with a warning. Becky found us a few days later, offered us a room and meals in exchange for help around the house. Alexa found her calling helping with the children, I tend to stay outside doing repairs and keeping watch for strangers.”

“What law do they arrest people under?” Charlotte asked. “My father has never spoken of a law like this to me.”

“Your father has never told you of many things,” Nia told her. “The anti-beggar law is the one you ask about, your father has is guards arrest any and all villagers who ask for money.”

“My father tries to arrest children?” Charlotte exclaimed, the horror clear in her voice. “He would never do so.”

“Choose not to believe it if you wish,” Nia said. “But the proof is there. Instead of taking care of the poor in his kingdom, he arrests them and throws them in the dungeons under the castle.” Charlotte was silent for the rest of the walk back to the village, at which point Nia stopped.

“This is as far as I go Princess,” she said, her voice soft. “Be safe making your way back to the castle.” Charlotte thanked her, and tucked her cloak more firmly around her before making her way back to the castle. AJ let her in as quietly as he had let her out, and she hurried to her room to change.

* * *

 It only took two days of Charlotte constantly thinking about Nia’s words, and the beautiful redhead that had saved the little girl before she resolved to find out if it was true. She had subtly asked both Nattie and AJ to find out if the dungeons were indeed occupied, and the haste with which they had both changed the subject told her that Nia was indeed right. On the night of the third day after her trip into town, she dressed in her darkest clothes before creeping down to the dungeon. She had to duck into alcoves several times to avoid being caught by patrolling guards, but she soon came to the heavy iron door that hid the dungeon entrance. She waited for the latest set of guards to pass by, before she pulled it open just far enough for her to fit and slipped inside.

“Oh my god,” she whispered, seeing the walls on both sides lined with cells, all of them occupied, several of them holding two or three people. There were people of all types, men and women, children and the elderly. Charlotte crept down the passage in between the cells quietly, the silence only broken by the occasional child crying before they were hushed by the adults around them. She walked the passage way to the end of the cells and then back to the door without seeing the redhead.

“Who are you looking for?” an elderly lady called out from her spot three cells from the door. Charlotte turned to her and hesitated briefly, before approaching the cell.

“A redhead,” she said. “Young lady, she was arrested a few days ago.”

“You looking for Becky lass?” a younger man asked from the cell next to the elderly lady. Charlotte nodded eagerly, looking straight at him. Before he could elaborate, a woman across the hallway scoffed and spat at her feet. Charlotte jumped and spun around to face her.

“Pretty young thing like Becky, she was moved to the King’s private dungeon yesterday,” she said, the disgust clear in her voice.  “Top floor of the castle.” Charlotte thanked all three of them and hurried out of the dungeon, sneaking past the door and the guards again. The guards shift had changed, so she hurried to bed, knowing it was only a few hours until daybreak, and resolved to tackle finding Becky again the next night.

* * *

 The next night found Charlotte climbing the stairs to the tower, her skirts clasped tightly in her hands. She came across the simple wooden door, unguarded and pushed it open. In contrast to the cell lined walls of the dungeon, here there was only a single cell, filled by a single occupant. Becky was sitting in the corner, her knees pulled to her chest and her forehead pressed to her knees.

“Hi,” Charlotte breathed softly, shutting the door silently behind her. Becky’s head jerked up, and a smile slid slowly across her face.

“You’re the lady that was in the town with Mickie,” she said.

“I was,” Charlotte admitted. “I apologise deeply for getting you into trouble, I was not aware of the law.” Becky’s smile turned more into a grimace.

“It wouldn’t matter,” she sighed. “I try to teach my kids to just not ask, as many passing nobles will give them coins just to get arrested. Unfortunately, Mickie is just so young that she doesn’t really understand yet.” Charlotte hesitated, before eventually settling herself on the floor in front of the cell, her skirts wide around her.

“Mickie got back safely to the orphanage,” she told the captive. Even with just that piece of news the change in Becky was obvious, her face lighting up.

“That’s wonderful, thank you!” she exclaimed. She moved to sit directly in front of the bars. “I’m Becky by the way, but then you probably already knew that.” Charlotte smiled and nodded.

“Lottie,” she said, impulsively deciding to use the stupid nickname that only her mother had called her before she died.

* * *

Three days went by, and Charlotte visited Becky every night. They spoke of different things, their families and their upbringing, as well as about their lives now. Charlotte always told the truth, she just omitted certain facts that would give away the fact that she was the princess. She learnt that Becky was originally from another land, and begged for stories and tales about the places Becky had seen. One night Becky let slip that she was worried for her children because of the cold weather, and the fact that her cottage had a habit of letting the cold air flow through. The next day Charlotte and Nattie collected up some spare blankets from the castle, and took them down to the orphanage, meeting Nia at the start of the overgrown path, and handing the bundles off to her. Becky was overjoyed when Charlotte told her that she had heard in the village that someone had sent thick blankets to the orphanage. Charlotte had also told her that she had tried to go and visit, but there was a large woman who blocked the way into the path. Becky had given a sigh of relief, and had explained to Charlotte that the woman was a good friend of hers, and that she was just trying to protect the children.

“Here,” Becky said, reaching her arm through the bars and pressing a small copper arrow charm into Charlottes hand. “Show this to the woman at the entrance, and she will let you through.” Charlotte took the charm and turned it over in her hand, before holding it tightly. She tentatively reached through the bars and took Becky’s hand, and the two women shared a shy smile between them.

This was how they sat every time Charlotte came to visit Becky for the next month. They would sit across from each other on the floor, and one of the two would push their hand through the bars to hold the others hand. The conversation was very different from the conversation that had come before, as now they spoke of their hopes, and their dreams. Becky spoke of her children, and of their desires in life, and what she wanted for them. Charlotte was spellbound listening to Becky’s voice, her accent becoming more prominent as she talked about how Mickie wanted to work with horses, and how her twins were slowly becoming their own people rather than just two parts of a whole. In turn, Charlotte talked about her mother, and how she couldn’t imagine ever having another after she died. They spent one night, when the moon was full and the beams made it through the small window at the top of the tower wall, shining on the floor just beside where Charlotte sat, talking in hushed tones about marriage, and having children of their own one day, and what they wanted from a partner. Charlotte wanted someone who was kind, and down to earth – and privately thought about how she had never met a prince who was quite like Becky – while Becky wanted someone to share her life, and who was honest with her. Right then Charlotte realised that she could never be what Becky wanted, but she was selfish, and kept going to the tower every night.

One late night, as Charlotte stood to take her leave, Becky looked up at her, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

“Don’t come tomorrow night,” she begged. Charlotte stopped short and tilted her head sidewards.

“But…” she said, stopping when Becky started shaking her head.

“Please Charlotte,” she begged. “Please, don’t come tomorrow. Just miss one night.” Charlotte stepped closer to the bars, and knelt, before taking Becky’s head in her hands, cupping her cheeks with her hands.

“You know who I am don’t you?” she asked. Becky smiled back at her, the motion making her eyes spill over and the tears trickle down her cheeks.

“You’re not very good at this disguise thing if you think I don’t know what our Princess looks like,” Becky said. “Just please, don’t come tomorrow night.” Charlotte nodded and rested her head against the bars, Becky mirroring her actions.

“Ok,” Charlotte whispered. “I won’t.”

* * *

The next night, Charlotte climbed out of bed as usual. She knew that she was taking a risk, breaking a promise to Becky, but she couldn’t just leave the other woman alone without at least knowing why she had been so scared of her being there. She crept up the tower stairs, hurrying the last flight as she heard the clang of the metal cell door being opened. She peeked around the doorway to see two guards dragging Becky out of the cell, half dragging her, half carrying her. The King was standing in the middle of the room, his back to the door, and the guards threw Becky at his feet. He reached down and cupped her cheek with a hand, Becky throwing herself backwards to avoid his touch. Charlotte clung to the doorframe her knuckles going white with the effort of resisting the urge to storm in there.

“Now my dear,” the King said, addressing the redhead on the floor. “Are you going to give into me this time?” Becky spat at his feet, and one of the guards slapped her across the face, the sound ringing out into the hollow room.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” the King admonished, before addressing the guards. “Get her up!” The guards leapt to do as he said, grapping one of Becky’s arms each and lifting her up so her feet were just off the ground. Charlotte watched, horrified as her father gripped Becky’s chin with his hand before leaning in and kissing the young woman. Becky pulled her head back as soon as she could, and wrenched one arm out of the guard’s loose grip, before bringing her own hand across the Kings face with a resounding thwack. The guards dropped her straight to the floor, and each delivered a kick to her midsection that had Becky curling up to protect herself.

“You will pay for that,” the King snarled, and motioned for the guards to throw her back in the cell. Realising that he planned to leave the tower room, Charlotte fled downstairs as fast as she could, moving as quietly as she could possibly manage until she reached her bedroom safely, and was able to throw herself into bed.

* * *

After the incident with the king, Charlotte found it impossible to get upstairs to visit Becky with the amount of guards that were around. King Ric was getting old, and paranoid, so nobody thought anything of it that he had doubled the guards around the tower room. Instead, Charlotte split her days between organising goods that the orphanage and the townspeople needed, and looking for loopholes in the laws that held so many people prisoner for merely trying to get by.

 One morning she was awakened by shouts coming from outside the palace itself, yet still close enough that they must be inside the palace walls. She hurried to the window, where she found that the shouts were mostly directed at a crowd of guards clustered tightly around figure, the only visible clue being the glimpse of familiar red hair. She dressed and raced downstairs, her blonde hair fluttering behind her unrestrained like a golden banner, until she burst through the front doors.

“What on earth is going on here?” she yelled, all of the people turning to look at her. The guards all bowed their heads, which allowed her to see the desperate look on Becky’s face.

“Your father has given orders for this witch to be executed,” one of the guards told her. Charlotte spotted Nia at the back of the crowd, one hand at the small of her back where she suspected a weapon was.

“Please your highness, you are the only one who can stop this,” one of the village elders said, coming forward. Charlotte recognised her as one of the elders who had been at her mother’s funeral.

“My father gave the order…I can try and reason with him,” she said, feeling a wave of hopelessness come up over her, mixed with the despair at the realisation that Becky would surely die today. “But there is no guarantee…”

“Your mother died when you were still too young to understand child,” the elder said. “Your father was supposed to teach you, but he has obviously failed in his duty. In the Kingdom of Flair, the birthright goes through the female child. As soon as you turned 18 you should have taken the crown. You are two years past now, and he has never spoken of this?” Charlotte shook her head, too shocked to speak. The elder sighed and stepped forward, taking Charlotte’s hands in hers.

“Even as a mere princess, you have more power than the King now that you are of age,” she said kindly. “He should have stepped down from the throne, but he chose not to. That is of little consequence, as your mother passed all of her power to you upon her death, and he simply held it in trust until your 18th birthday. He cannot stop your birthright outright, merely postpone it.” Charlotte turned to face the guards, and watched as they all shifted nervously. She recognised them all now as members of her father’s private guard, those who had sworn loyalty to him. Only now did she realise why he had made them do so, and fixed her attention on one who had been at the castle since before her mother’s death.

“Is this true Randal?” she asked. “Do I have the power to dismiss this execution?” The guard shifted for a moment before he inclined his head and dropped to one knee.

“Yes your highness,” he said. Charlotte waved her hand dismissively towards Becky at that point, and the group of guards jumped.

“Escort her to my chambers,” she demanded. When the guards went to argue she merely raised an eyebrow and they quieted down right away. “I have a conversation to have with my father.” She caught Nia’s eye and beckoned her forward, the woman catching up and falling into place a step behind her as she strode towards the throne room where she knew her father would be. Sure enough, when she entered the room he was sitting there, surrounded by a cluster of nobles.

“Charlotte, what brings you here?” he asked, rising and holding his hands out to her. Charlotte stood stiffly, and didn’t bother taking his hands.

“Father, have you been conspiring to steal my birthright, the power that mother passed down to me upon her death?” she asked, her tone demanding the truth. King Ric stopped and stared at her, the horror on his face warring with the disbelief.

“Charlotte, darling, what on earth would make you ask that?” he asked, his voice trembling just a little as he obviously tried to make it appear that he was horrified she would question his place upon the throne..

“The kingdom is passed from mother to daughter,” she said. “Upon the Queens death, her eldest daughter is supposed to take the throne upon her 18th birthday. I am two years past that, and yet, I have not taken the throne, nor did I find out about this tradition until today.” She saw the guilty look on her father’s face and flinched as if she had been hit realising that the elder had been right.

“Charlotte,” he tried again, before her hand flew up and stopped him from speaking with just the motion.

“I will be taking the throne upon the earliest convenience of the court,” she told him, her tone sharp and leaving no room for argument. “And in the meantime, if you need me, I will be busy overturning some of those ridiculous laws you have put into place the last two years.” She turned on her heel and swept out of the room, missing the way he sunk back into the throne as if his legs had given out. Nia was right behind her, and caught her arm as Charlottes own knees gave out.

“Of course yourself and Alexa have formal sanctuary here for as long as you need,” Charlotte said, slightly breathless once Nia had steered her to lean up against the wall. She leant heavily against it, and looked up at Nia. Nia smiled wider than Charlotte had ever seen her, and they both continued down the corridor when the Princess regained her balance.

“Alexa will be glad to hear that,” she said. “She has been hinting at marriage for several weeks now, which we could not do without sanctuary for fear of being hunted down and returned to her Kingdom for execution” Charlotte laughed, her tone and her heart lighter than it had been since the night she had witnessed her father kissing Becky.

“So, where to first Your Highness?” Nia asked, falling into step with Charlotte. Charlotte stumbled a step before regaining her composure, and letting out a soft sigh.

“To talk to Becky I suppose,” she said. “And then to work out how to formally get rid of the beggar laws, and to pardon anyone arrested under them.”

“Excuse me your Highness?” a young maid said, coming around the corner. “The court has convened in the formal meeting chambers, and is demanding your presence.” Charlotte sighed and looked at Nia.

“I guess court comes first,” she said. Nia rested a hand on her shoulder.

“With your permission, I’d like to return to Alexa and tell her of what happened today,” she said. “I was only here because of the execution and with it taking so long for me to return…” She trailed off and looked at Charlotte.

“Of course, Alexa will be worried,” Charlotte agreed. “Go, and tell her that you can finally make your union formal.” Nia bowed her head in respect before she turned and started walking quickly back through the castle, speeding up as she got closer to the end of the hallway, before finally breaking out in a run as she turned the corner. Charlotte herself headed the opposite way towards the courts formal meeting chamber, a place where she had been only a handful of times in the past two years since she had reached 18. She took a moment to centre herself before she placed a hand on the door and pushed it open. The first thing she saw was that the court had arranged itself around the table, and had left the monarchs chair at the head of the table open for her. They were all watching her as she entered, and there wasn’t a murmur among them. She walked silently to the head of the table and sat, and that was when the silence broke.

Every member of the court started clamouring for her attention, from pleas from her father’s supporters to reconsider her decision to take the throne, to others asking her to keep the kingdoms economic and legal position the same, and still others – these mostly among members who were of her own generation rather than her fathers – who wanted to express support for her initiatives and legal positions. Charlotte sat, still and silent, not able to get a word in, until there was a sharp rapping from the end of the table. Lord Steven – who during his time as a counsel for the Kingdom had gained the nickname of Sting behind his back, because while he didn’t speak often, when he chose to it was always as quick and sharp as a scorpion’s sting – had climbed to his feet. The rapping was how he chose to get attention, by tapping the end of his cane several times against the floor, which had the same results that it always did – instantly the room fell into complete silence.

“Most of you haven’t been on this court long enough to remember the days of Queen Ashley,” he said, every word chosen with precision, and followed by his eyes making contact with individual members of the court. “But when she ruled, we didn’t have the need for the rules and laws that King Ric has brought in. He brought in a law against begging. Queen Ashley would help the poor. King Ric is imprisoning orphans, widows and people who have nothing to offer in taxes, no money and no home to return to in the first place, and while it may make the kingdom seem more prosperous, it is damaging the morale of our people.” The lords looked away, although it would be impossible to pick out those who were actually ashamed of their roles in the event of the preceding years, as opposed to those who were only touched by Lord Steven’s words.

“Now, I say we give the Princess a chance to fix her father’s actions and mistakes,” he said. “And that we give her a chance to speak of what she would like to do in the Kingdom, and her vision for where we go.” With these last words he sat down, and Charlotte slowly rose to her feet. The court looked at her in silence, and she could feel the nerves taking over her.

“I want to pardon those down in the dungeons,” she blurted out finally. “There are children, the elderly, and everyone in between down there. If their only crime is asking for a coin, or even only taking one when a noble hands them out then they shouldn’t be down there. The begging law needs to be repealed as well, if our people are getting to a point where begging is the only thing that is keeping them alive, then we should be helping them to get to a better point in their lives, not throwing them in prison for being down on their luck.” She paused and looked around at the court, glancing at the different faces. Some looked supportive of her, and others looked horrified at her words.

“I did not know that my birthright was passed from my mother,” she said. “However, something that I do know is that my court is about my choices. And if you cannot support my decisions, or enforce them in your own towns in the Kingdom, then I shall see if your spouses can. Or if your children can. And they will be the representative for I want our kingdom to prosper, and we cannot do that if we are locking up people for no real reason.” Several of the court nodded in agreement, and while it was mostly the younger members, there were a few of the senior advisers as well.

“We will support you as best we can,” they assured her. One of the court members slid a piece of parchment in front of her, and as she glanced it over, she could see that it was an official pardon. She quickly filled it in as being for those who were imprisoned over the begging law, and signed it herself, and then passed it around the table where all of the court members signed it as well. Those who were reluctant were motivated when more supportive members, muttered to them about how they looked forward to working with their children to improve the state of the kingdom, or when they were particularly stubborn, they were quelled in the disapproval by the sharp look that Lord Steven gave.

“Thank you,” she said, offering them a shy smile. “Now if you will excuse me, I have some prisoners to release.” Once she left the room, Nattie was waiting outside with her tiara in her hand.

“I believe that the guards may listen to you more effectively if you look the part,” she suggested, and Charlotte bowed her head to allow the other woman to settle it securely on her head, impressed as she always was by Nattie’s foresight and knowledge of the castle goings on. Once it was on, Charlotte squared her shoulders, and held her head high, before she strode confidently down the hallway towards the door to the dungeons.

“Your Highness!” the guards standing guard at the door greeted in unison, standing up straight. Charlotte held the pardon out to them.

“I have a signed pardon for all the members of the kingdom who were arrested under the begging law,” she said.

“Yes Your Highness,” one of the guards said, pulling the door open for her even as he unclipped the ring of keys from his belt.

“What are you doing!” the other guard hissed, trying to block the door. The first guard, who Charlotte now recognised as the partner of one of the guards stationed at the front gate, shrugged and pointed to Charlotte.

“She’s got a signed pardon, we can’t argue with a Princess on a mission,” he pointed out, before he ushered Charlotte inside. She heard the whispers almost as soon as she stepped inside, mostly from the small children who plastered themselves to the bars of the cells in order to see her better. The guard stopped next to her, a step behind her, as she stood in the middle of the two rows of cells. Her eyes sought out those who had helped her last time, the elderly lady who had been so kind, and the young man who had called her lass. The young woman who had been so disgusted with her father on Becky’s behalf. Charlotte smiled and held her arms out, her hands laying palm up in a gesture for peace.

“I am here to formally apologise on behalf of my Kingdom, and my family,” she began. “And to inform you all that due to the fact that this law was ridiculous, and anyone who enforced it was an idiot in the first place, you are all being formally pardoned and are free to return to your homes.” The cells erupted with noise, as Charlotte motioned the guard at her side forward to go and unlock the cell doors. He worked his way methodically down the line on his own – the other guard obviously protesting the move as he did not come to help – opening cell doors and helping those out who were stiff and sore, before switching to the other side of the row to do the same. The people who were freed stopped to thank her, clasping her hands and offering their loyalty and assistance if she was ever in need. The door was propped open, Nattie having recruited several of the maids into helping her, and between them, the group of maids were not only organising transportation back to the villages for anyone who could not make the journey on their own, but also offering water and food for those who were weak, and escorting those still able to make the shorter journeys out of the castle. Nattie presided over them, soothing ruffled feathers, and directing the maids where they needed to be, and looking very much the queen that she used to be.

Once the cells were empty, and everyone escorted out of the cells, Charlotte joined the maids in the organisation of the mass amounts of people that needed moving. She soothed cranky children, and offered a strong arm of support and an ear to those elderly who wanted to suggest ideas that would help their town. She promised to watch over their towns as guards helped those who needed the carts into them, and saw her people off. By the time the last few people had left the castle, it was already well past sundown, and Charlotte still had to see Becky, as her day had been taken up by the pardoning, as well as by simple castle organisation tasks that needed taking care of now that her father was out of power. Several of the former prisoners had asked about her, and Charlotte had told them that she was alive, and that she still had to talk to her to find out what the next move was for her, and her orphanage, as well as assuring them that she was not planning on keeping Becky prisoner either.. That had appeased them for the moment, although they had asked her to get Becky to drop in on them in the local village when she was free again, and when she had dealt with everything she needed to handle at the orphanage.

Finally free from both the needs of her newly free people, and from the inane tasks that had absorbed every free moment that day, Charlotte headed upstairs, the dread in her stomach weighing heavily on her with every stair she climbed. She paused before her door, one hand resting on the wood. Her mind was playing over everything that she had to talk to Becky about, including that she had broken her promise that night, and the potential that Becky would never want to see her again. Eventually she pushed the door open, and Becky leapt up from the bed where she had been perched. Charlotte stepped through the door and pushed it shut, the latch clicking and opening her mouth to begin talking. Before she could though, Becky was in front of her, with both her hands on her cheeks to pull her head down further, and kissing her gently. Charlotte rested her hands over Becky’s hips, pulling her closer, and tilted her head slightly, moving her lips against Becky’s own. The kiss was gentle, and chaste, yet as they pulled away they were both reluctant to separate completely, coming back for several small, soft pecks before they did pull back. Becky offered Charlotte a soft smile, before she leapt backwards, remembering who she had just kissed and pacing frantically.

“Oh my god Your Highness, I am so sorry, I just…” she rambled, before Charlotte stepped closer and rested her hands gently on her shoulders, effectively halting the frantic pacing.

“Please Becky, I thought we skipped the Your Highness stuff,” she said, a pale pink flush taking over her cheeks. “And it’s more than fine. I’ve wanted to kiss you since the day I first saw you in the marketplace.” Becky blushed as well, but in contrast to Charlottes pale pink cheeks, her deeper red blush spread down over her neck, and over the top of her chest, before being hidden by the top of her dress.

“Charlotte,” she tried again. “Or should it be Your Majesty now?” Charlotte laughed, and took a seat on the end of her bed, her knees falling open to allow Becky to stand between them. Her dress was tucked in close to the bed, avoiding Becky standing on the hem, and her hands rested gently on the other woman’s hips, keeping her close. Becky’s hands rested on Charlotte’s shoulders, her thumbs rubbing small circles.

“I haven’t formally taken the crown yet,” she confessed. “Although the way people are acting, you’d never guess that I hadn’t.” Becky smiled at her, looking down at the blonde, who lowered her head.

“I’ve only spoken to those who have been pardoned,” Charlotte said, her voice small. “I can’t bear to talk to the townspeople, to know what they must think of me. I was supposed to take the crown two years ago, when I turned 18. They must either think that I abandoned my duty as their Queen, or that the ridiculous laws that my father enacted have been done in my name. Or that I’m just an idiot for creating those laws.” Becky moved her hands to stroke the blonde locks in front of her, using the repetitive motion as a way to collect her thoughts before she spoke.

“You’re right, a lot of people thought that you had abandoned them,” Becky said, threading her fingers through charlottes hair and tugging gently. Charlotte raised her head and looked up at the redhead. Becky smiled down at her, warmth and kindness shining in her eyes.

“Releasing all those people, helping them get home? That will prove to people that you care,” Becky continued. “And at your coronation, then you can explain to people what happened. That you didn’t abandon us, you just didn’t know what was happening. And now that you do know, it has become your chance to make things better.” Charlotte’s eyes were swimming with unshed tears, but she nodded slowly, unable to deny the truth in Becky’s words. Becky’s smile dropped, and she stepped back.

“I should get back to town,” she said. “The children will be worried, and so will Nia and Alexa. Nia especially, since she saw me today.” Charlotte nodded in silence and dropped her hands from Becky’s hips to rest at her thighs. Becky rested her hand on the door before turning back suddenly.

“Just so you know, whatever your father or anyone else might claim…” she began. Charlotte looked up to meet her eyes. Becky gave her a sad smile.

“I know you were watching that night,” she continued. “I knew you wouldn’t stay away. But…no matter how many times he tried, I never gave in. Despite what people might claim, what they will claim…I am pure. I have kept myself pure for the right one…I just never found her before.” With those words, Charlotte was left alone in her room to dwell on Becky’s words.

* * *

Charlotte stood in front of her mirror, captivated by her reflection in the floor length glass. Her hair was loose, although a few hair pins held it back from her face. Nattie stood beside her, having just finished lacing up the dress that she was wearing. Her coronation had been announced, and it was this morning that she would formally take over the kingdom. It had only been a week since she had announced her intention to take the throne, however it felt like much longer. She hadn’t seen Becky or Nia since that day, having been too busy to take time out of her day. The majority of her time had been taken up with either running the castle in the wake of her father’s voluntary departure from the kingdom, and the subsequent departure of his housekeeper – a chore which had thankfully now been taken over by the most competent housekeeper Charlotte had ever met, who had excellent control over all of the staff – as well as overturning all of the brainless and frankly barbaric laws that her father had put into place. Nattie had been instrumental in her efforts with the last, having a knack for finding obscure laws that her father had put into place many years before she had even  turned 18. The court had sat more in the last week than it had in the two years since Charlotte had reached the age of 18, and they were more occupied with overturning laws than they were with instating new ones. There were several that they had instated however, laws about taxes, and orphans, and war widows. Charlotte was determined to help her people, and to do it as soon as possible.

“Ready Your Highness?” Nattie asked, resting a hand gently on her forearm. Charlotte straightened her shoulders and let out a breath slowly, before she nodded and led the way to the door. The coronation would happen in front of her people as it was supposed to, and she knew that there were a lot of people gathered in the castle courtyard. The castle staff bowed to her as she walked through the halls, the maids bobbing curtseys. The housekeeper shooed them away as she walked past, chiding them about loitering when they had work to do, bobbing a curtsey of her own. Charlotte reached the double doors leading to the courtyard and the guards stationed there swung them open, allowing her to ascend the stairs leading to the wooden platform that had been specially constructed. Off to the side stood representatives from various nearby kingdoms, among them Sasha and Dana, both dressed in their royal colours with their tiaras on their heads. Charlotte inclined her head to them, before looking out over the crowd. People were packed into every corner of the courtyard, and it looked like the whole of the nearby town had come out to see the coronation. A few rows back, Charlotte saw Becky, Alexa and Nia, with all of the kids from the orphanage clustered around them. Becky saw her looking and waved, giving her an encouraging smile, while Alexa’s eyes kept flicking to the kingdoms representatives standing at the side of the stage. Charlotte smiled and settled in the middle of the platform, kneeling with her dress floating around her and bowed her head, and almost as one the crowd settled into perfect silence. Lord Steven, as the most senior member of the court, stepped in front of her.

“Princess Charlotte, do you swear to protect the people of Flair from harm, both inside and out?” he began, his voice ringing across the gathered crowd. “Do you swear to look after their needs and interests, and to help them when they need?”

“I do,” Charlotte answered, her voice trembling just a little from nerves, but her words strong.

“Do you swear to work with the neighbouring kingdoms, not against them, for the best interests of both your people and theirs?” he continued.

“I do,” Charlotte repeated, her voice stronger this time. In her mind she could see Nia and Alexa standing in front of her, with Natalya joining them, and she make a silent vow to the three of them that she would always protect them and anyone else who needed sanctuary from persecution in their own kingdoms. Lord Steven turned to the representatives gathered along the side of the stage, and addressed his next words to them.

“Do each of you pledge your loyalty and assistance to this kingdom, and its monarch in the case of trouble and difficulty?” he asked. Sasha was the first to step forward, Charlotte just able to see her move out of the corner of her eye.

“Bankton and its monarchs pledge our loyalty and assistance to the Kingdom of Flair, and its new Queen,” she said. She stepped back and Dana took her place.

“The kingdom of Brooks and its monarchs pledge our loyalty and assistance to the Kingdom of Flair and its new Queen,” she recited, stepping back herself. Charlotte listened as in turn the Reigns Empire, Rayneville and the Kingdom of Rollins all pledged their loyalty. The Kingdom of Bliss had also been invited as one of Flairs neighbours, but Alexa’s parents had refused to attend the coronation of a Queen who they saw as refusing them the justice that they needed to bring their daughter home.

Lord Steven soon returned his attention to Charlotte, once the representatives had pledged their allegiance to her.

“With the will of the people, and by the power that the court has entrusted in me,” he started, taking the silver and blue tiara that had been passed down from Queen to Queen for generations. “I give to the people of Flair, our new ruling monarch. Allow me to present Queen Charlotte.” He placed the tiara on her head, the blue jewel settling in the centre of her forehead. Charlotte rose and stood at the edge of the stage as the crowd cheered and clapped, smiling widely as her birthright was recognised publicly, and by her people.

She soon descended into the crowd itself, the celebration beginning to spill out past the castle walls. She accepted the well wishes from her people, some of them making their way home after she had spoken to them, but the vast majority of them pressing closer to her to get a glimpse of their Queen. She was knocked off balance before her arm was caught, and she was hauled backwards into a solid chest. A glance backwards revealed it belonging to one of the palace guards, who although off-duty, began to steer her through the crowd. He was taller than Charlotte, and so at the sight of the two of them the crowd parted before her, giving her space to walk. The people clasped her hands and thanked her, and soon their faces blurred together at the sheer amount of people that she met. She was starting to feel overwhelmed when Becky and Alexa came up to her, the kids around them, and Nia bringing up the rear. Alexa was dragging a blonde woman by her wrist, who in turn was dragging a man with very scruffy hair by his wrist. Charlotte recognised the woman as one of the women from the dungeon, the one who had seemed to know what Becky had been in store for in her father’s private tower. The guard behind her stepped around her, and wrapped an arm around the two, one on each side of him.

“Charlotte, this is Carmella,” Becky said, motioning towards the woman. “She used to help out around the orphanage, until she was arrested by the former king.” The blonde bobbed a quick curtsey.

“My name is Enzo…” the scruffy haired man began. The guard rolled his eyes and clapped a hand over his mouth. Carmella laughed and patted his hand.

“Thank you Cass,” she said. “Enzo, she’s the Queen. She really doesn’t care about what you call yourself.” Enzo glared at her, and Charlotte couldn’t contain the laughter that bubbled out of her mouth.

“We have to thank you for the pardoning of that ridiculous law,” Cass said to her. “Carmella, she really didn’t deserve to be locked up.” Charlotte smiled kindly at him, and reached out to take Carmella’s hands in hers.

“No-one deserved to be locked up under that law,” she agreed. “And it’s a travesty that anyone was, I was glad to get rid of it. My reign will be about compassion and kindness, and treating people with respect. Not locking them up to make the kingdom seem better.” All three of them in front of her smiled, and Cass ushered Carmella and Enzo away to join the celebration outside the gate. Becky touched Charlotte’s wrist and motioned with a jerk of her head towards a secluded corner. Charlotte followed her without question, the two of them fighting their way through the crowds until they were alone.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” Charlotte asked, her hand reaching out automatically to take Becky’s hand. The redhead pulled her hand back, and Charlotte let her hand drop silently.

“I don’t…” Becky began, before she pushed her hair behind her ear roughly. She sighed, and looked at Charlotte.

“With you being crowned Queen, I don’t think we can be together,” she said bluntly. Charlotte looked at her with pain in her eyes, and wrapped her arms around herself.

“Becky…” she protested, before the rest of her sentence trailed off into nothing. She looked down, acknowledging the truth of Becky’s words.

“In another life, in another time,” Becky whispered, stepping close and brushing her lips over Charlotte’s cheek. “Just so you know…I really enjoyed spending time together.” She walked away, and Charlotte took a deep breath. She stood there in silence, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if it were the only thing holding her together, before she wiped the tears rolling down her cheeks away and heading back to the party, determined to project the aura of nothing being wrong to her people.

* * *

Charlotte stood in the grass in the village common area, the hem of her deep blue dress just brushing the ground. Her tiara sat on her head, the sides intertwined with the intricate coils of braids that made up her hairstyle, while the vines sat neatly in the middle of her forehead. Beside her stood Nattie, the tips of the right part of her fringe dyed a deep pink, her hair mostly brushing her shoulder blades except for the topknot coiled on top. On Charlottes other side, Sasha stood tall, her pink hair hanging loose around her shoulders, and her gold crown sitting on top of her head. The ruby was set into the centre, and was surrounded by small vines and leaves, and complimented her burgundy dress, the sleeves set off the shoulder and the black laces laced tight over her chest. In front of them, Mickie walked slowly, throwing out rose petals on either side of the aisle. Alexa followed behind her, her white dress trailing along the ground. The dress itself covered her breasts in front, and stopped at her waist in back, and was covered by a lace overlay. There were tiny buttons down her spine, and the lace covered the sheer dress, as well as making up the back of the dress, and extending over her chest. Her hair had been pulled back into a tight bun, and her tiara sat on top of the long lace veil. Sasha smiled and bumped Charlottes shoulder with hers, noticing the way the Queen was looking wistfully just past Alexa. Becky stood next to Nia at the head of the aisle, clad in a simple halter neck emerald green dress, with a gold sash around her waist. The colour of the sash matched the one tied around Nia’s ivory dress, which complimented her tanned skin perfectly. The bodice was plain, stopping high up, and the empire waist was emphasised by the golden sash. The lace skirt dropped straight down Nia’s legs, and the look was completed by the tight off centre low bun that her dark hair was pulled into.

Alexa reached Nia and they both reached their hands out to meet each other’s, clasping onto the others hand tightly as they smiled. Charlotte couldn’t help but notice that their smiles made their faces glow, and as they said their vows they spoke clearly, and confidently.

When the village preacher pronounced them married, Nia lowered herself to one knee, and Alexa placed a tiara upon her head. In the six months since Charlotte had taken the throne Alexa’s parents had slowly come around to the idea of Nia being their daughter in law. Last week a special delivery had arrived at the castle care of Charlotte, their wedding present to their daughter. Inside had not only been Alexa’s tiara, a delicate silver circlet decorated with silver vines and golden flowers, fitting for a woman known as the Pixie Princess, but a thicker silver band with a golden stylised leaf designed to sit against the middle of Nia’s forehead. It had silver and gold vines just like Alexa’s, but the contrast in the thick and thin bands emphasised the difference in the Pixie Princess and her new wife, while the similarities only went to show the unity between the two of them. Now, Nia rose, and took Alexa’s hand again, and the two of them kissed sweetly to the sound of cheers, newly united as wives and as princesses together.

The party soon spilled out onto the grassed common, and villagers and royalty alike danced to the sound of the band playing merry tunes. Charlotte stood alone, watching over her people from the sidelines, declining all efforts to get her to join the party from all members of the group – including the newly-wed couple. Eventually, Becky came to join her, and they stood in silence together.

“I know you said that we could never be together,” Charlotte said finally, breaking the silence that they had imposed on themselves since her coronation. “But I was looking at legislation from the time of my mother, and I discovered that the old three story building on the castle grounds was designed and built as an orphanage.” Becky’s breath caught in her throat, and she dared to look at Charlotte. The Queen turned to look back at her, and offered her a shy smile.

“I thought, that since there really isn’t much room in your little cottage anymore, that you could maybe move your little family in,” she suggested. “There’s plenty of room for all of you, and Nia and Alexa would be safe. Now that the last of the laws my father brought in have been repealed, your kids will be safe. And maybe we could…” She trailed off and glanced at the ground, only to be brought back to herself by Becky’s hand sliding into hers and squeezing gently.

“I think that would be a wonderful idea,” Becky agreed. “And I think that maybe we could.” Charlotte smiled and leaned into Becky’s side, allowing herself to be dragged out into the party, finally allowing herself to feel rather than merely exist on the sidelines.

**Author's Note:**

> For your viewing pleasure...
> 
> Tiaras: 
> 
> [Alexa](https://67.media.tumblr.com/832609ba3d065d449f1ae72e9a537eee/tumblr_nlfrz4V9Ae1sk138co6_1280.jpg)   
>  [Nia](https://67.media.tumblr.com/4ece73661ce879086b86dd34292f6362/tumblr_nlfrz4V9Ae1sk138co3_1280.jpg)   
>  [Charlotte](https://66.media.tumblr.com/a442190455d0bd38dd295019e4c391f7/tumblr_nlfrz4V9Ae1sk138co10_1280.jpg)   
>  [Sasha](https://66.media.tumblr.com/09c3a34a48c836284e0ae68a8e1ea5da/tumblr_nlfrz4V9Ae1sk138co1_1280.jpg)   
> 
> 
> Dress:
> 
> [Nia](http://pluslook.eu/wp-content/uploads/687367.jpg)   
>  [Alexa](http://d3mna48k5fyuxs.cloudfront.net/upimg/jjshouse/s1140/43/e1/738c5e5610bd8a5c979c9bc8098143e1.jpg)   
> 


End file.
